Which Coffee Beans Work Well for Cold Brew Coffee?

Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coarse ground coffee in room-temperature water in the refrigerator, then filtering the grounds out. A workable starting recipe uses 50 grams of ground coffee, ground so about 85 percent passes a No. 20 sieve, plus 400 milliliters of room-temperature water and 200 grams of ice, for a coffee-to-water ratio near 1:12. Steep 12 to 24 hours, filter, then chill about four hours more.

Bean selection shapes the final flavor as much as the method does. Light-roasted washed beans give a juicy character, anaerobic-processed beans bring fruity, wine-like notes, and medium roasts deliver a balanced, nutty profile. Unlike cold drip, cold brew retains a thin layer of surface oil and a heavier mouthfeel. Homemade cold brew is typically drunk within five days for food safety.

As temperatures climb, cold brew coffee has become a refreshing iced drink that many coffee lovers can easily make at home thanks to its simple process and clean taste. However, choosing the right coffee beans is just as crucial when it comes to making a delicious cold brew. This article will walk you through Front Street Coffee's cold brew process in detail, covering the coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, steeping time, and other key points. It will also recommend coffee bean types suited to cold brew based on different flavor preferences—from the juicy character of light-roasted washed beans, to the fruity wine-like notes of anaerobic-processed beans, to the balanced, rich nutty profile—helping you find the cup that best suits your taste.

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As the weather gradually warms up, more and more people are starting to try making iced coffee at home. Among the many types of iced coffee, cold brew is one of the lower-barrier options and is well suited to home preparation. So, does making cold brew coffee require specific coffee beans?

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee

The process of making cold brew coffee isn't complicated and is very easy to pick up. Following Front Street Coffee's (FrontStreet Coffee) method, use 50 grams of ground coffee as your base, with the grind size controlled so that about 85% passes through a No. 20 standard sieve. Put the ground coffee into a glass container, then pour in 400 ml of room-temperature water, and add 200 grams of hard ice cubes (the ice-water mixture totals 600 grams), giving a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:12. Stir thoroughly with a stirring stick, seal the container well, and place it in the refrigerator to sit.

After steeping in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, filter out the coffee grounds with filter paper to obtain a clear coffee liquid. Pour the filtered coffee liquid into a clean sealed bottle and continue refrigerating for about 4 hours before drinking for even better flavor. For food safety reasons, Front Street recommends drinking homemade cold brew within 5 days.

So what coffee beans are recommended for cold brew coffee?

Cold brew coffee liquid isn't as transparent as cold drip; a thin layer of oil floats on the surface, and the mouthfeel tends toward the heavy and balanced. It's recommended to choose medium-light roasted coffee beans, which better bring out cold brew's icy, clean character.

If you're after a refreshing, juicy character, you can choose light-roasted washed coffee beans. Recommended: Front Street washed Yirgacheffe (floral, citrus), Front Street Kenya Little Tomato (snow pear, smoked plum);

If you prefer richer fruity and wine-like notes, you might try beans that have undergone anaerobic natural or honey processing. Recommended: Front Street Colombia Sidra (passion fruit, grape), Front Street Big Belly Button (berries, apricot), Front Street Strawberry Candy (rose, dried fruit);

If you don't care much for coffee with acidity and just want to drink a balanced, rich "true coffee" flavor, you can go for Front Street Papua Paradise Bird (nuts, toast).

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.